Electronic control systems such as power plant control systems and the like generally are densely packed within an enclosure. Such densely packed electrical components may result in relatively high operating temperatures. These high operating temperatures and other thermal considerations may have a bearing on the minimum form factor to which the control systems may be designed, the maximum operating speeds, and the overall performance of the control systems.
Moreover, industrial control system customers generally intend to place such control systems in locations where ambient temperatures may be high and environmental contaminants such as dust, salt, debris, and the like may be common. The degree of protection provided by any given enclosure thus may be dictated by the area in which the enclosure is to be located. The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (“NEMA”) defines different types of enclosures by the location of the enclosure and the various elements that the enclosure must be able to withstand. For example, a fan cooled NEMA 12 enclosure is arranged with filtered inlets and outlets. As such, a certain amount of downtime may be required for the filters to be cleaned periodically. A sealed NEMA 4 enclosure may offer good protection in dusty or wet environments, but such an enclosure may handle less of an internal heat load than a ventilated counterpart. There is thus somewhat of a tradeoff in operational parameters when selecting an enclosure for a particular purpose and location.
There is thus a desire for an improved enclosure for electrical components and the like. Preferably such an enclosure will be largely sealed to prevent the ingress of containments while being able to operate in temperature ranges typically associated with ventilated enclosures. Moreover, the enclosures should be relatively inexpensive to construct and operate as compared to known enclosures while providing enhanced protection to the electrical components therein.